This is the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Oddly enough, there are no valleys here. It’s flat, lush land for miles and miles. I’ve spent the past week and a half traversing this southernmost region of Texas and I have to say – I love it. Maybe it’s all the palm trees, tropical flowers, sunshine, and friendly people, but there’s something about this area that captivates me. 🌴🌴 It’s made up mostly of small towns, many dotting the border of Mexico, so as a vegan coming down to visit I had no idea what to expect in terms of veg friendly food. But I was pleasantly surprised.

These brownies are flaming good. Literally. The last part of the recipe requires you to broil the brownies to get the marshmallows nice and toasty looking. They only need 1 minute to broil and they are ready. But I got distracted and left them in the oven for 3-5 minutes. When I went to get them, surprise! They were on fire. My first thought was to grab some water, but I put so much time and effort into these brownies, I wasn’t about to demolish them because of a semi-raging fire. Luckily the flames went out quickly and I was greeted by the shrill tones of the smoke detector, which I promptly ripped off the wall. When all was said and done, my poor brownies were covered in a layer of ashy marshmallow. On the plus side, after I scraped it off, the brownies looked and tasted great. Lesson of this story? Just because your recipe doesn’t go quite as planned don’t freak out. Sometimes it will turn out even better!

Here are some more surprises from my Vegan S’mores Fudge Brownies: they are gluten-free, they contain roasted beets, and the base of the batter is black beans! However, these brownies taste just as good as any brownie made with wheat flour and dairy products. No one would ever suspect they have veggies and legumes in them!

So I was going to write a post about something else this week but I’ve been thinking about food so much lately, that I couldn’t help but post another recipe! Necessity is indeed the mother of invention. When I walked into my kitchen the other night, starving, there was barely anything decent to be found. I had some leftover black beans in the fridge and that got me thinking about what I could whip up with them. I ended up creating a tofu crumble reminiscent of ground beef or turkey, with sauteed onions, the black beans, and salad fixings. And it was so, so good! It took twenty minutes at the most and filled me up without leaving me feeling heavy. Ready for this super simple, quick, nutritious meal?!

This recipe starts out very white, but don’t fear, it ends up very colorful! I cut up some thick slices of white onion and put them in a pan with a splash of olive oil on medium heat. I let those sizzle for a couple of minutes. Take any kind of tofu you like. I used the Trader Joe’s Organic Sprouted Tofu Extra Firm, it works the best for crumbling and having a ground meat consistency. This particular brand is in the refrigerated section. Use your hands to crumble it into the pan and give everything a quick stir. You can turn the heat down to low or med-low.

Next I added seasonings: Cumin, chili powder, and paprika. I wait to add the salt and pepper until all the ingredients are in the pan. It’s easier for me to see how much S&P I need when everything is mixed together, but do whatever works for you.

HEY THERE! I’M JILLIAN.

I live along the border of Mexico in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas and create cruelty-free recipes that are delicious! I'm here to show you that it's easy to follow a plant based lifestyle. Not only are the health and beauty benefits noticeable, but it creates a more sustainable planet and keeps our animal friends safe & happy. I also love books, music, dark chocolate, and the great outdoors. LEARN MORE…

Subscribe to my mailing list and receive a FREE RECIPE E-BOOK as a thank you!